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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — a safe
  3. band — a ring
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mug — a face
  8. degree — from a university
  9. foot — a measure
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mug — to rob
  13. face — to confront
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. face — to point toward
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. band — a music group
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — part of the head
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com